Lauderdale Oks Beach Taxing District

Money Would Be Used To Promote The Area

October 8, 2006|By Brittany Wallman Staff Writer

Fort Lauderdale Commercial property owners in the tourist-popular central beach area will be hit with an extra tax starting next year to pay for heightened security, advertising, landscaping and "goodwill ambassadors," city officials decided this week.

Conceding the beach isn't as safe or as clean as it should be, city commissioners on Tuesday unanimously voted to impose the new tax, a special assessment that has the support of most, but not all, affected property owners at the beach. Commissioner Carlton Moore was absent.

The vote sets up a Business Improvement District, a way to collect money that would be used only within that area. Only commercial properties will be taxed. The tax rate will produce $1,500 tax for every $100,000 of taxable value.

Most of the paying properties are along State Road A1A, also called Seabreeze Boulevard and Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard in that area. The district begins, though, with properties on both sides of Holiday Drive, and continues north along A1A, including all the properties bordering the roadway up to Sunrise Boulevard.

Condo-hotels will be considered commercial properties and the hotel owner will be billed, but individual unit owners won't be, at least for now, according to city documents.

The median assessment, meaning half are higher, half are lower, is $1,491, according to a study and analysis conducted for the city by Carras Community Investment.

"While many of the larger commercial properties, in particular the upscale hotels found in the area, will bear a significant portion of the cost burden (roughly 65 percent), it is expected that they will reap a proportional share of the benefit from both rising property values and increasing revenue and patronage," the report stated.

The beach is rapidly changing, with many older hotels demolished and being replaced by high-rise condo-hotels. According to the city's study, eight projects are being built along A1A.

"Fort Lauderdale Beach is in the ongoing process of transforming itself into a world-class beach resort area," the report stated.

Yet the beach is not up to standard, the Carras report concluded. Among the problems: poor appearance of public spaces, including "substantial amounts of gum and stains" on the sidewalks; inadequate landscaping; insufficient maintenance of a wavy sitting wall that lines the beach; a lack of good signage and beach identity "branding," not enough marketing of the area; and not enough security and protection for visitors.

The law that commissioners passed allows the money that's collected to be used for a variety of things, from machinery to uniforms to insurance to fuel to construction costs and advertising.

The proposed first-year budget for the estimated income of $476,788 includes: $175,000 for "goodwill ambassadors;" $225,000 for landscape upkeep; and $75,000 for administrative overhead.

According to the Carras report, "goodwill ambassadors are expected to greet and direct visitors to the area, sweep and remove dispersed trash, and report suspicious activities or problems." They would be stationed at busy intersections less than a half-mile apart, such as near the Sheridan Yankee Clipper.

The report recommended that an advisory board be formed, including representation for residents, to monitor the district's work.

A petition for the assessment was supported by 67 percent of the commercial property owners, according to the ordinance commissioners passed on Tuesday. The city said it also had the support of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce's Beach Council, as well as the city's Beach Redevelopment Advisory Board and its Economic Development Advisory Board.

IN OTHER ACTION

Fort Lauderdale city commissioners on Tuesday also:

Gave tentative approval to 3 percent cost-of-living raises for top managers, including City Manager George Gretsas, who would receive this on top of a 7 percent raise commissioners approved in July. His pay would be about $219,000, and his total compensation including benefits would top $300,000. A final vote is scheduled for Oct. 17.

Agreed to abolish the Law Enforcement Block Grant Funds Advisory Board, because the federal government no longer requires it.

Gave final approval to a rezoning to allow Uptown Village Tarragon A to build a new Gay and Lesbian Community Center at 1700 N. Andrews Ave.